There can be no denying the phenomenon that is Robert Kelly Slater. Few will argue with the notion of greatest competitive surfer of all time, and a quick google search of the stats of Jordan, Tyson, Bolt, etc. will reveal a compelling argument for greatest athlete in any sport, ever.
But, without meaning to downplay his myriad of achievements outside of the competitive arena, it is also hard to refute that Slater’s success has occurred, largely, within the confines of The System. Indeed, this is a huge part of the man’s genius. From an early age Kelly had mastered competitive surfing in the way a champion chess player can demolish an unsuspecting opponent in a few moves, all whilst adhering to the stipulations of a strict, complex rulebook.
But once in every generation comes an otherworldly talent so far ahead of the curve that their surfing sends shockwaves reverberating through the established order. Freakish prodigies who seem to operate in a different plane, and who challenge the status quo to such an extent that the powers that be are never quite sure what to do with them.
“I was so pumped”, says San Clemente local, Matt ‘Archy’ Archbold, as he harks back to the early 80s, to the days when he qualified for the-then ASP World Championship Tour at the age of just 16. “I was ready, but I don’t think they were ready (for me).”
Born and raised on the California coastline, the naturally shy and unassuming Archy says he got into surfing, “Because my brother said, if you don’t surf, you’re a kook’,” he laughs.
Honing his skills at San Clemente’s T-Street Beach as part of a pack of extremely talented mega-groms including Gavin and Shane Beschen, Mike Parsons, Dave Eggers, Dino Andino and fellow aerial whiz kid Christian Fletcher, there can be little doubt that Archy was an immediate standout. Eager to prove
